2013 HGTV Smart Home : Kitchen Pictures

About the Kitchen: The beach blue wall color extends into the kitchen, where cottage style maple cabinetry and oversized pendant lights carve out vintage style, belying the room's high-tech features, including refrigerator and freezer columns and an induction cooktop with both speed heating and full-touchscreen interface features. "It's the kitchen I would like to have it's very forthright, it looks great and I absolutely adore the island," says interior designer Linda Woodrum.

Walls, the ceiling and even the island cabinet base boast a vibrant beachy blue hue that invites relaxation. "It's just that really great, highly functioning kitchen," says Linda. "What you need when you are at the beach."

A launch port adjacent to the kitchen houses two smart tablets that allow the homeowner to control the home's security systems; heating and cooling; lighting; the whole-house audio system; shading and swimming pool functions; plus energy monitoring.

Under the 10 foot cook surface, storage space includes drawers and roll trays that keep spices and cooking devices close at hand.

The beverage center offers a picturesque view of the back deck and six feet of counter space dedicated to preparation of cocktails and drinks. A beachwood trimmed undercounter cooler offers three distinct temperature zones for storage of white, red and sparkling wines.

Semi sheer floor to ceiling linen drapes may be drawn to close the kitchen off from the adjacent dining room.

To maximize square footage, walls and hallways are eliminated with one room flowing seamlessly into the next. Unique ceiling and floor treatments designate spaces.

A single bowl undermount sink makes short work of messes, big and small. The natural quartz countertop surface is nonporous and both mold and bacteria resistant.

Both sleek and hard working, the island conceals storage cabinets, a double wastebasket pullout and a six wash cycle dishwasher.

A bowl of citrus fruits a nod to location becomes a focal point when paired with white and turquoise hues.

"I think it's fun in a house like this to go overboard with the color theme," says Linda, who herself mixes and matches colors and patterns of blue and white plates in her kitchen. "You establish color or a theme and then you build on it."

The perfect pairing of vintage and contemporary, pendant lights become the room's piece de la resistance. "I wanted something with pow because the ceilings are tall," says Linda. "I just needed lots of functioning light and I thought they were perfect."